Screams
by Beautiful-Warriors
Summary: The giant war is over, and Percy and Annabeth have escaped Tartarus. But at what cost? They return to camp plagued by nightmares and flashbacks. Slight OOC, separate from HoH. Percabeth fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATED VERSION:**

**This is disregarding almost everything in HoH, and it's more of a teenage, not watered down version. I started this before HoH was out, and I'm sticking with it. Some minor details from HoH are in, but it's pretty spoiler-free.**

**There are a lot of deaths in here. Sorry. **

**DISCLAIMER: Rick Riordan owns PJO and HOO. Applies to all chapters. **

**Percy's PoV.**

**I'm really sorry a lot of this is shitty, corny mushy stuff, but it's my first try at pain/angst, so bear with me please. **

After weeks of searching, they found the Doors of Death.

The gods took pity on them, transporting them to Mt. Olympus.

Percy and Annabeth couldn't talk. The light burned them. Their external injuries were healed, by Apollo himself, but scars remained. And they had scars much deeper than skin.

One look in Percy's eyes, and you could tell he was different. Annabeth's once-sharp gray eyes were dull, lifeless.

Broken.

Athena and Poseiden tried everything, but eventually they realized they were helpless in their children's struggles. Gods could only do so much.

A month later, Percy went home to see his mom. Sally may not have known exactly what happened, but she was a smart woman. She could see the changes in her son, and his girlfriend. They walked slower, as if each step hurt. Percy's once-sea-green eyes held something different now, something darker. Annabeth wouldn't work on architecture anymore.

She was given the guest bedroom, but Sally didn't really expect her to use it, she knew those two needed each other. Sally just wished Percy would tell her what happened to them.

They only stayed with Sally and Paul for two days. Percy and Annabeth both wanted to go back to camp. Sally tried to put up a fight- "I haven't seen you for almost a year! I didn't even know if you- I didn't know where-" but even she gave in eventually. She couldn't stand to see that look in her sons eyes, and if going to camp helped, he could live there if he wanted to.

Camp was much the same, and much different. Jason was back with the Romans, along with Frank and Hazel. Leo decided to stay at CHB.

Piper was gone, lost forever.

When they arrived, campers darted carefully around them. They were not greeted with applause for saving the world, or pity of what it took. They were left alone.

Tyson was back at Poseidon's forgery, so Percy was alone in cabin 3.

Athenas' cabin was full, but even her siblings gave Annabeth space. Athena's children are wise, after all.

Chiron was still there, one of the few things that hadn't changed. He didn't say much to them, but of course, what could he say. He couldn't imagine what Tartarus was like.

That night, they stayed out as long as they could. A little longer, because finding people underwater is much harder than it seems. Percy had made a bubble again, just below the surface so the fading sun shone through. Neither one of them could go back into the darkness.

Percy was holding Annabeth, and she was holding him. Really neither one of them knew who's body parts were who's.

"I-" Percy starts, then stops. Because what? He doesn't want to sleep? She knows that, neither does she. Doesn't want to leave their bubble? Same.

"Yeah." She answers. He studies her legs, which are curled around his.

For the first time in her life, Annabeth wasn't tan. Her skin had turned pasty white, and her once-golden curls hung in tangles around her neck, in a dull blond.

Percy had changed, too. His usually glossy black hair had lost its shine, and he just seemed... defeated. Percy Jackson always, _always_ looked hopeful, even when they were battling the Titans for Mount Olympus. Even when they were fighting their way to follow the Mark of Athena, he still looked hopeful. It had never set in that they could lose.

"I love you." he whispers into her ear, drawing her away from the horrors inside. Those three words meant so much more now. _Love_ didn't really cover it. Love can be broken, worn out. What they had was so much deeper.

Annabeth's eyes meet up to his- still beautifully gray- and then her lips are on his.

Percy knotted his scarred hand in her hair, and wrapped the other one around her waist. She locked her hands around his neck, feeling the bones in his neck.

Their lips moved with a delicacy that would be odd to anyone but them. It seemed the pressure of a feather could break them sometimes.

Air seemed so unimportant, but eventually Annabeth needed to breath. She pulled away, but kept her hands locked around his neck.

"Percy and Annabeth, it is curfew." Chiron's voice rings around them. Annabeth jumps- her hands springing apart. Percy looks around confused for a moment before he realizes the source. The Stolls' made an underwater microphone a while back, but never had a good reason to use it. They made underwater cameras, too, and used those to spy on Percy and Annabeth before. This time, though, they didn't even bother looking for cameras this time. Even the Stolls wouldn't listen in on them now.

"I don't want to be alone." Annabeth says, desperation plain in her voice as the bubble floats to the top.

He's just about to say screw the rules because after every rule they've broken, one more won't matter, and it will be disastrous tonight anyway, so why not, when they hit the surface and the bubble eruption with a light _pop_.

"There you are! It is past curfew, so I recommended you go to your cabins before the harpies come." Chiron says.

"Sorry." Is all Percy mumbles. He turns to Annabeth.

"I love you. They aren't real." He whispers, and she swore his voice cracked a little.

"I love you. They seem real." She whispers back, and closes the short distance with a kiss. They don't care that Chiron's behind them. He can wait.

It's a fast kiss, but more desperate. This is the first night spent alone since- the Argo II? That seems like two lifetimes ago. Chiron makes some sort of centaur noise, and they split, squeezing hands before they go to their separate cabins.

**Review pleaseeeeeeee?! oh god I sound like a 12 year old writing a high school au just tell me how bad it was idk. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter!**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! I mighta made a squealing noise when I read each one... **

**WARNING! I actually really hate warnings, becasue no one ever really cares. But anyway, make-out scene! (Tell me how I do. I had to go through my bookcase and find a couple of make-out scenes to get an idea how to write them. Advise?) And darkness. You know what? Just let this warning go for every other chapter to come.**

****And while I suck at make-out scenes, I also tumblr about 6 hours a day, so I take things two ways. That said, whatever you think, they did NOT have sex. Like, ever... yet.**

**Third PoV again. If I write in a first person PoV, I may just start crying. Again.**

Annabeth opened cabin six's door, trying not to wake anyone up. After throwing on pajama shorts and Percy's sweatshirt, she crawls into her bunk. Accidentally, her arms reach for a body that isn't there. She shuts her eyes, praying to every god to keep the nightmares away.

But she knows it won't work.

It's always the screams.

Always the darkness.

It suffocates her, smothering her screams so they can't be heard. She stumbles, reaching out for Percy. He's not there.

Another scream, one that's not her own. It's Percy's. She's screaming and crying, searching for someone that isn't there. His name tears out of her. Days and days of this. It's never ending. He keeps screaming, screaming her name. He's in pain and she can't find him.

The screams don't stop. They follow her. Twists and turns lead nowhere. Finally, she finds Percy. She screams louder.

He's broken.

He's chained to the floor. Bloody and broken.

And it's all her fault.

Then the screams start again, but this time they are worse.

"Annabeth!" A voice calls, but it's not Percy's. "Annabeth, wake up!"

She jerks up, sweating. The head of her little sister Lexi stares at her, wide-eyed. The rest of her cabin is up, too. They all stare.

The screams don't stop.

"Annabeth, are you okay?" Lexi asks in a sweet little girl voice. She reaches out to pat her head but Annabeth gets up pushes her away. She slams the door open and runs, her legs threatening to give out.

The screams tear through the air. She knows those screams.

She reaches cabin three by memory. It's still to dark to see more than outlines, and the darkness brings back the dream.

The screams are louder.

She pounds on the door only to find it unlocked. She bursts in, finding Percy in the same state she was.

Screaming.

Annabeth closes the door and goes to his side. Percy's thrashing, fighting his mind. A cold sweat covers him, and his screams won't stop.

They won't stop.

"Percy! Percy, it's me. I'm here. It's okay." Annabeth pleads desperately, trying to wake him. "Percy, please wake up. Wake up." She sobs. She grabs one of his moving hands in both of hers, trying to do anything to stop the screams. She shakes his shoulder, tears running down her face onto his bare chest.

"Anna-beth" He gasps, and his eyes flash open. The pupil is so dilated, the sea-green is gone. He has tears running down his cheeks, and her heart crumples seeing him like this.

"Percy. It's me. I'm here. It's okay. We're okay." She cries, climbing into his bed.

He pulls her tight, tight to the point of pain, but she wants closer.

"Annabeth. It was you and I couldn't find you. I couldn't save you." He sobs, and she sobs along with him. Every night, this happens. Together, they can usually fight them. But separate, they are broken.

"I'm never leaving again. I'll always be here." She promises. The words turn out garbled.

Percy loosens his hug just enough for her to be eye level. Annabeth locks her hands round his back, sliding her arms just under his.

"Never." he agrees. His heart is still racing, but a little of the green has come back to his eyes. Tear stains run down both of their cheeks.

It's still dark enough for Annabeth to sneak back to her cabin, but she has no intention of doing so. The nightmares will come back, and she can't live through them alone.

So when her lips met his, the carefulness of last night is gone.

Her hands tangle in his black hair, pulling him in deeper. Percy somehow ends up sitting with his back against the headboard, and Annabeth on his lap, locking her legs so that heels replace hands against his shirtless back. Their lips moved in more than perfect sync; it seems as is they were one person split into two bodies.

Annabeth takes a hand from his hair and pulls on the back of his neck, pulling them - impossibly- closer. A small sigh escapes against her will when Percy slides his hand up her back, resting it on the indents between her shoulder blades.

One kiss becomes two, then three. A different need takes over, one Percy thought was forgotten. For so long the only need that mattered was getting out alive, surviving and protecting Annabeth. Now, a need to forget everything takes over. When he's with Annabeth, everything leaves him. All the pain of what's happened is gone, and it's just Annabeth and Percy. That's all that matters.

Annabeth tightened her leg wrap on him, so that their stomachs touch. She breaks off, moving her lips to his ear.

"Kiss me." She whispers, her voice ragged.

Percy kisses her, an it was the kind of kiss that, if not for Percy holding her, would have made Annabeth fall. At his every touch, a new shiver ran through her. She forgot the pain, the cracks in them both. When Percy kissed her, everything went away. He made everything better.

He bit her lower lip, then pull back so his lips hovered over hers.

"I think I can do that." He breaths, a hint of a smile of his lips. He slammed their lips together, desperatly kissing her like never before. Percy unravels a hand from her hair, sliding it down her bare legs.

After that, Annabeth tried to focus, but all that made it to her brain was the smell of the sea and the taste of chocolate chip cookies.

Finally, he pulls away, bringing Annabeth back from her daze. Their lips are swollen and red, aching to touch again. They're both breathing heavily, hearts pounding.

Percy has no idea where that came from. These past months, nothing like that had happened. They had kissed, but always with a carefulness. Many times after Annabeth woke up from a nightmare, he would kiss her through their tears, reminding her that he was safe. On his worst nights, only Annabeth could break through the pain. But this was different. He needed her, needed to make sure she was safe.

He couldn't lose her again.

"I love you." She whispers, curling into his chest, the spot meant just for her. "You have no idea how much I love you."

He drapes a hand over her waist, pulling them together until their noses touch. Annabeth grabs his free hand and wraps it in both of hers. Side-by-side, in their own little world. Safe, for the moment.

Percy leans in, pausing so that their lips just barely touch.

"As much as I love you." He says, still staying just out of reach. Annabeth forgot how to breath.

Finally, he kisses her. Just a feather light kiss, really not a kiss at all, but it makes her heart race.

"Try to sleep." Percy whispers, his voice a little horse. She curls up, and the two fit together like puzzle pieces. They know exactly what belongs where. Every night, they lay like this, fighting off the nightmares that rage against their mind. On a good night, Percy will wake up calling her name, and Annabeth will try to comfort him. Later, she'll wake up sobbing, and he'll just hold her until it's better.

On a bad night, they both wake up screaming. It's as if the nightmares plan it, striking at the same time, leaving them wrecked. They just hold each other, taking turns crying. Annabeth can't stand to see Percy cry. It's worse than anything the Tartarus can hold

Sometime that night, they fall asleep, and stay sleeping, until light floods in. It's to late for Annabeth to sneak back to cabin 6, so she changes into the extra clothes she keeps in Percy's cabin, a fact that, in spite of everything, she is secretly happy about.

When they walk to breakfast, hand in hand, with matching black circles under their eyes, they ignore all the staring eyes. Percy knows they heard him screaming, but just kept walking to the Poseidon table, never letting go of Annabeth's hand.

**I couldn't really think of a good ending, so this will do. I'll update tomorrow, too!**

**Pleaseeeee review! Flames are totally fine. I'm not quite sure where to go with this yet. It's kinda up in the air. **

**Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!**

**I love you all in that creepy internet way.**

**This is in Chiron's PoV, and is shorter than my other chapters have been.**

**This is kinda a filler chapter, but I might get another out by like 5 a.m.**

**Chiron PoV in third person.**

Chiron knew he sounded cold when he told Percy and Annabeth to go to separate cabins.

Truthfully, he didn't care if they were alone in a cabin. He knew Annabeth, and she would never be pressured into doing something she didn't want to. Besides, Percy wasn't like that.

He wanted to help them heal. He may not have known what happened in the Tartarus, but he could tell when someone was broken. From the moment they walked through the camp border, hand in hand, he knew they had been through more than he could imagine. Even as old as he was, the stories of Tartarus still shocked him.

One camper, many, many years ago, accidentally found a direct pathway into Tartarus, much like Percy and Annabeth. She sent him an Iris message, and to this day he dreamt about it. She was in a cave, and he could hear the howls of Tartarus in the background. In the message, she told him what had happened. Her stories of pain, both mentally and physically, terrified him. She spoke of horrors he swore never to repeat, all in the same calm voice she once used to care for the pegasi. She told him she knew she was to die; she could hear the monsters growing closer. The message faded as a red fog flooded her cave. Her last words, still eerie calm, were the worst part. Some days, Chiron swears he hears them.

"This is only the beginning."

So when Annabeth and Percy returned, having made it to the other side of Tartarus, he was amazed at their strength. Most would think they were weak by looking at them; their pale, white skin, sunken eyes, as if nothing could break them yet everything could. But Chiron couldn't even guess how much it took to not to give up.

That day, as they floated from one activity to another, Chiron watched. In sword fighting, Percy, who had always been the first to go, stood in the very back. As everyone else grabbed armor and practice swords, Annabeth and Percy slipped out of the arena through the back, heading towards the lake.

Chiron didn't stop them. After everything, if Percy ever picked up a sword again, it would amaze him.

Annabeth didn't show up for Greek and Mythology, and neither did Percy. They missed the climbing wall, also.

They re-appeared for stable cleaning, going from one stall to another Then, while they were brushing out a yellow pegasi with a nasty bite, Percy staggered backwards, hitting the wall with a hard THUD.

The other campers watched in shock as Percy Jackson- hero of the world twice over- slides down the wall into a pile of hay. His pupils dilated, changing his eyes from green to black to green again. Annabeth knelt next to him, putting her hands on both sides of his face to make his eyes meet hers. His hands turn into fists, clenching and unclenching over and over.

His breath hitches, as if he's getting ready to scream. Annabeth shakes his shoulders, talking in a desperate voice too low for the other campers, but Chiron catches some of it.

"Okay... wake up... please Percy it's...right here. I promise...again. Not ever again...up. Please wake up..."

His eyes snap closed, then open, seeing clearly again. He looks around, noticing for the first time all the staring campers. A few snap out of it and look busy again, but most are frozen at the scene that just took place. Percy grabs her hand and together they stumble out of the stables.

They don't return for dinner or sing along. Chiron sees Grover sitting alone in the corner. He hasn't seen Percy with Grover. Did he even say hello to his best friend?

A good camp leader would try to get Annabeth and Percy to interact with old friends, make them participate in the activities.

But a great camp leader would let them make their own choices.

And while Chiron didn't think of himself as a great camp leader, he knew forcing them to do anything would hurt far more than it would help. So he let them be, not noticing when they finally came out of the water well after night set, turning a blind eye when Annabeth carried a duffle bag over to cabin three.

He even pretended not to notice the scream that woke the camp.

**The more I write in Chiron's PoV, the better I like him. Anyone want to hear from Grover or Lexi?**

**So heres the deal: REVIEW! I squeal every time I read one.**

**Another update tomorrow! Or possibly tonite.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Q. Do you ever sob because Percabeth?**_

**A. All. The. Dam. Time.**

**See what I did there? Remember when everything was all nice and cute and Percy and Annabeth weren't so- so *curls up on the floor and cries***

**So now we're back with Percy and Annabeth. It's the same day Chiron summarized, but from their PoV.**

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I really suck at dialogue between the two. I just have no idea, so if they're OCC, please tell me! I also just had trouble writing this.**

**Should I change the rating on this to 'M'?**

**I listened to Bleed Out by Blue October while writing this, so if you have it, listen to it.**

Percy used to love sword practice. He would always be the first volunteer, and sometimes even led the class. Now, though, he couldn't even pick up a sword.

And it killed him.

After everything, he should practically sleep with a sword. It should be second nature to him. But instead, he hid in the back and ran when it was time to practice. They went to the lake, and made a bubble close to the surface again.

Annabeth sat sideways on his lap, with Percy's arm holding her against him. For a while, they said nothing, just sat in the silence.

"Annabeth?" Percy finally breaks the silence, just in time. Too much silence, and her mind made its own noise.

"Hum?" She mumbles into his shoulder.

"Can we talk about something- anything? I just need a- a distraction." His voice sounds strangely un-Percy like. She pulls away, looking at his eyes for the first time since they floated here. The pupils are tiny, just barely pinpricks. How did she not notice something was wrong?

"Sure. Um…" She stampers, trying to think of something good that has happened because they weren't about to die "Do you remember when the Stolls put chocolate Easter bunnies on the Demetri cabin's roof, and Katie chased them around, making vines hold them still while she decorated them with flowers?" She asks, recounting one of their many pranks played on that unlucky cabin.

"And they couldn't get them out for a week." He says, smiling sadly. His muscles relax some, but he's still tense.

"Percy, what's wrong." She asks, sliding out of his arms to sit across, knees touching. She pulls their hands between them, forming a bridge. He meets her eyes, and she sees a sadness in them that wasn't there a few months ago.

"I can't pick up a sword." He whispers, dropping his head. Annabeth stares at her broken boyfriend. After that they've been through, he _wants_ to fight again?

"It's not that I want to ever fight again," he continues, reading her mind without even trying. "but if something happened to you becau-" He breaks off as Annabeth throws her arms around his waist, and this time she's the one holding him.

"Nothing's ever going to happen to us." She says as Percy's head rests on her shoulder.

"I just want everything back the way it was." Percy whispers, his voice cracking on the word _everything._

Annabeth has nothing to say. She barely remembers the old Percy, the one who would laugh whenever she went into a rant about architecture, the one who called her Wise Girl.

She knew she changed, too. She stopped reading, stopped designing. When was the last time she smiled?

"I still love you. That will never change." she whispers back, saying the only true thing she can think of. She tried and tried to fix everything, her stupid hubris making her believe she could fix them both. But Annabeth finally broke through her fatal flaw by realizing something; she needs Percy to fix her, and he needs her. She doesn't have to be alone anymore.

"I don't have to be alone anymore." She whispers to herself, trying to understand what that means.

Percy's eyes snap open, and he takes his head off her shoulder to stare at her.

"What?"

"I said I love you." She answers. Is he shocked because she said that? Could he possibly thing she couldn't love him. no matter what he could or couldn't do?

"No, after that. What'd you say?" He asks. Annabeth can't describe his voice; a mixture of desperation and pain, maybe?

"I- I said I don't have to be alone anymore." Admitting she felt alone scares her, and she felt her through constrict with how tears.

Percy grabs her onto his lap, and suddenly he's the one holding her again.

"You're never going to be alone again." Percy whispers, trying to keep her from crying. If she cries, he knows it's only a matter of time before he either breaks down with her or waits to do that later. "I'm never leaving you."

He doesn't quite understand, but he doesn't need to. All he needs to be is right next to her.

Annabeth tries to pull herself together. If Percy sees her cry, she knows there's no way they'll make it back to any activates today.

"I'm sorry." She mumbles, shedding her last tear. She's sorry for making them like this, sorry for just now realizing she needs help.

She's sorry for being weak.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Percy says, not making her feel any better. "I'm the one who couldn't even pick up a sword." Bitterness fills his voice, but underlining it is fear. In the back of his mind, the reason he can't pick up a sword plays, the screams growing closer.

He leans in closer, lips just above hers. Annabeth already closed her eyes, waiting. Instead of kissing her, he enwraps her in a hug, his strong, scarred arms incasing her. And for a moment, nothing matters. It's just the two of them, in their own little bubble.

A bubble in a bubble.

A single tear slides down Percy's face. Just one. After so many times of losing her, Percy can't even imagine being without Annabeth.

She wraps her hands around his neck and into his to-long hair, her lips pressing into the delicate skin below his ear.

"What time is it?" She asks.

"Uh… I have no idea." Percy answers. As much as Annabeth would love to stay here forever, they have to go back. Chiron won't let them off of camp duties for too long.

"We have to go back." He guesses, letting out a long sigh.

"I just want to try to regain some normality." He doesn't argue, just pulls her closer for a moment.

And just when Annabeth thinks he's going to let go, his lips brush hers. Before she completely knows what's happening, she pulls him closer. Percy lets out a startled little hiccup, but quickly recovers.

It wasn't like the kiss last night. It was slower but still heated. There was no rush, no desperation. It was the kind of kiss that said 'I love you.'

Percy lets her go after a few minutes, their breaths coming in short puffs. He truly doesn't want to go back, face the faces of those who rely on him to be strong when he's everything but.

But he does, because Annabeth's right. If they can't hide, they have to heal.

**~insert really sad quote as a line breaker here~**

After checking the clock, Annabeth leads them to the stables.

They start grooming the horses and pegasi (**AN yes two or more Pegasus are called pegasi) **as a team, trying to avoid the staring looks.

Truthfully, Percy misses his friends. He hasn't seen Grover in months, but he knows his friend felt some of what he felt, thanks to the empathy link.

After about 6 horses, Annabeth moves them on to a gold pegasi apparently named _Klicko._

_Hey dude. Did you really go to Tartarus, no shit? _Klicko asks Percy. At first, he doesn't respond. Klicko is the only person in camp who has actually came right out and said it.

_Whoa, don't freak the fuck out on me. A little bit of shit at a time. _Klicko thinks sarcastically. _Did you kill the fuck out of some badass monsters? Or did you get fucked up in the head like that other dude when he went into that maze shit? _

_Knock it off. Just leave me alone._ Percy responds. Why is this pegasi being such an ass? All the other horses just asked them to brush out a knot here or there.

_Wow you're in a pissy as fuck mood. That time again, isn't it? _Klicko restorts, but stays quiet after that.

Percy tried to continue working. A stupid horse is not going to make him freak out in front of everyone.

But it's too late. The memories rage against his sanity, blacking out his vision and taking over.

"_Annabeth" he chocks out._

_She doesn't move, just lies on the floor in a tiny ball._

_Blood seeps out, running down towards him in curving lines._

_WHY_

_They spell._

_Why did you do this to me._

_The sword in his hand clangs to the ground, splattering blood- Annabeth's blood-on the walls._

"_I told you I would break you, little demigod. Are you done yet?" Gaea's voice seeps through the ground into his bones. _

"_No. No Annabeth No I didn't come back please ple-"_

"_It's too late. You killed her." Gaea laughs, a hard, cold laugh. _

_His shoulders shake, and her voice fills his ears. _

"Percy it's okay I'm right here wake up please wake up please Percy it's Annabeth I'm right here I promise. I won't leave again . Not ever again I promise please Percy wake up ." Annabeth tries not to cry as she watches in horror as her boyfriend fights himself.

His eyes open, staring at her as if it pains him.

"Annabeth." He whispers, then grabs her hand and runs out.

**So this isn't the whole day, but I felt like I left you long without an update. So vote: **

**1. Finish the day that Chiron described from Percabeth's PoV.**

**2. Just move on to Lexi's and Grovers. (Lexi would have Annabeth getting her bags, so all that you would miss is probably freaking out, nightmares, and fluffy make out scene.)**

**3. Go on to my secret PoV. (Which would be shorter than this, but I think she deserves to be heard.) **

**4. Skip to next day.**

**So I don't think I say this enough, but I love you guys. 27 reviews? (as of right now) It's insane. All the favorites and follows just stuns me. I'm sorry if I don't reply to your review, but I truly try to at least say thank you. If you used a guest account, I can't properly thank you, but I still read each one.**

**Really, you guys are amazing. **

**Any reviews, love, hate, or just a plain period would work, but I still love them.**

**(Have you guys scene the blue oreo's that are coming out?)**


	5. Chapter 5

**UPDATED VERSION:**

**If you're wondering what I'm doing now that HoH is out, go see my re-vamped version of chapter 1. (I'll be doing all the other chapters soon.) AN at the end is a bit long, but you don't have to read it, so that shouldn't really matter. **

**_Italics mean memories from third person view, and they can also mean thoughts from first person view. Just go with it. _**

**Percy's PoV **

The door barely creaks as they open it, and Percy immediately turns on the lights. Annabeth takes her ragged duffle bag into the other room, leaving Percy to think about everything.

_I can't keep melting down. _ He tells himself, repeating the words that have been in his mind all day. Two hours, they spent at the bottom of the lake, not talking, just sitting there. Before they noticed it, the sun had set and dinner had ended. Not that either of them wanted to face everyone. _I just can't._

This should be awkward- having his girlfriend practically move in. There should be a lot of accidental formalities and planning and everything that normal people do. But it's not. She doesn't have to look around for a place to put her bag or shoes or something, there's no awkward bumping into each other. It's the one thing that feels normal.

Annabeth comes out a moment later; wearing one of his old sweatshirts and some sleeping shorts, her princess curls laying damp around her shoulders. "Hey," she says.

Percy pulls her into his arms, slowly moving towards his single bunk. "Hey," he replies, sinking onto the soft mattress. The scent of lemons surround him. "I'm going to go get dressed."

He pulls out a random pair of sweatpants from the dresser- this time worn plain blue ones- and walks into the other room. Leaving the door open just a crack, Percy quickly strips off his shirt and jeans, tossing them somewhere, and exchanges then for the shorts. He runs a hand through his hair, attempting to make it li-

A loud, piercing scream tore through the soft air. He freezes, then races to the other room. She couldn't have already fallen asleep, could she? That only leaves a few options…

"P-P-PEEEERR-"She screeches from the headboard, which she's balanced on. Annabeth's whole body is shaking, and her breath is coming out in short gasps .

"Annabeth, what-where is-" He sees her shaky arm point to the middle of the wall. About half way up is a small, black spider. Oh gods, no wonder why she's like that.

"Annabeth, Annabeth we're okay. I'll get it…" his head whips back and forth, looking for something to kill it with, while trying to ignore the fear spreading through him. _No, _he thinks as he dashes for a Kleenex _you've already been weak enough today. _

From the head board, Annabeth's gasps quiet, and her eyes glaze over. Going back to the wall, Percy scans the worn wood. _Gods, please let it still be here. _

Finally he sees a something small and black about 2 feet from where he first saw it. Crushing it with a definite _crack_, Percy throws it out the door. _ How did it even get in here?_ Usually spiders avoid the camp is possible. "Annabeth, it's gone. Are you -"he stops as he turns to face Annabeth.

Still standing rigid on the thin headboard, her eyes have turned almost black, the beautiful gray he loves gone. Annabeth's jaw is clenched, and her fingernails dig into her palm from the force of her fist. She's shaking. She's fallen into her mind. "Annabeth, it's okay. The spider's gone- Annabeth, please we're okay-"He pleads. Percy reaches a hand out to help her down, just barely touching her closed hand.

And then she screams.

It's a horrible, never ending scream. Percy grabs her other hand, making sure she won't fall down, but she screams louder, ripping her hands from his. It echoes around the room; words and screams combined in an awful mess. He can't see what's happening, but he's sure of what it is. The words and half-sentences that come in and out. She's yelling at the thing in her memories. "PERCY- NO- STOP-HELP!-PERCY _NO_" She's overtook by a single scream.

_Rocks cutting into his bare feet- or where his feet should be. Loud clicks, click click click circle him, the blood running everywhere. The pain- always more pain, hits again. Screams- are they his?- tear through the blinding darkness. Laughter, screams, clicking. Laughter, scre-" _

Percy has to do something. He shakes his head, trying to dislodge the forming memory. _Annabeth_ he says, repeating it over and over in his mind. Percy stands up on the mattress, still two feet short, and wraps both arms around hers to clamp them at her side, lifting Annabeth down. She fights, arms straining and feet kicking, her closed hands reach for anything she can hit. "It's _me! _Annabeth, we're okay. It's gone…" She's still screaming and fighting as hard as she can.

The longer she's stuck in it, the worse it gets. Percy tries to get her to sit down, but her knees are locked. "Annabeth, Annabeth please. It's okay, we're okay." Her screams choke up for a moment, as if unsure whether to continue. Annabeth's struggles to kick him stop, and Percy loosens his arms around her, holding her in a light hug. "Come on Annabeth, fight it." he says in a soft voice.

She looks around for a moment, as if confused about what just happened, then throws her arms around his neck, and he feels hot tears run down his bare back. She sobs, horrible, heartbreaking sobs, and this time there's nothing he can do but hold her. His name is recognizable through her tears.

Annabeth's legs start to wobble, so he slowly starts to lower them into a sitting position. Moments or minutes later, her arms loosen, and watery eyes meet his in the dim lighting. "It was her again." She whispers, and Percy doesn't need to ask who her is. Only a spider could trigger that. "Thank you."

He wants to tell her that he doesn't need a thank you, or that he owes her more, or _something_ that lets her know what the tangle of thoughts in his head are saying, but his lips become occupied by the soft pressure of hers.

It's a feather-light kiss, but when she pulls away a moment later to curl into the unmade bed, he can still feel the lingering tingle.

In seconds, they fit into their perfect sleeping position; backs against the world, covers pulled up to their necks. It's hard to sort out whose legs are whose, for both are tangled around each others. Percy drapes an arm around her back and up her sweatshirt, drawing meaningless circles on the soft fabric of her tank top. One of her arms go on his back and up into his hair- he's never quite understood why she likes it so much- and the other one that she lays on meets his in the middle.

And that's how they lay, legs tangled and holding hands. He continues to draw on her back and finally, finally the rest of the tension disappears. Her thumb traces the scars across the back of his hand, as if marking them on a map.

Percy's eyes don't close, but is mind goes somewhat blank. Not asleep, but resting, leaving Annabeth some time to think.

oOo

Time and time again her mind goes back to that place. Sometimes she can thing about it without getting sucked into it- distancing herself from her mind. And it's always one question that she tries to solve.

How did they make it out?

She knows they must have made it to the doors- it's hard to recall single memories of that place, not that she wants to- but before that. Gaea must have thrown everything she had at them, and they were, and still are, just two demigods with a broken ankle and a sword.

Annabeth has tried to remember what the monsters were like, if they were trying to kill them or capture them or something else entirely, but she can't picture them without going back there.

Even if all the monsters wanted to do was capture them, why didn't they? She's fought with Percy for years; she knows that even he can't beat everything. And without her being able to fight…

But Annabeth can remember other things besides the fighting- the things that come back night after night, the howls and screams and dripping of blood-

_"Percy!" she screams, again and again. "No no no stop please stop Percy NO!" And she can't run to help him, to stop it. She can't close her eyes. And she can't ignore the screams._

She blinks, each one wiping more and more of the memory away. _If I can't think about it without doing that, then I just won't think about it at all. _She decides, setting her teeth.

So instead , she thinks about Percy, one of the few things that make her smile. All the stupid, funny things he's done, all the cute little things he got embarrassed over, all the happy thoughts she could remember.

But it seemed that the more happy thoughts she tried to remember, the more bad ones accompanied it.

oOo

Annabeth grips his hand more tightly, making sure he's really there. He pulls her closer, their noses almost touching. Sometimes it seems like this could all be another nightmare that will end any moment by her getting taken away again.

"Annabeth."

She blinks, adjusting her eyes to find his. She makes a noise in the back of her throat, something that sounds like "Huhm?"

He realizes he has nothing more to say; just her name. Not screaming it or yelling it or crying it. Just saying it.

And this time, it's his lips that meet hers. Her hand grips his hair tighter, pulling him closer. Thoughts pour back into his head, but they're good thoughts- how pretty Annabeth is, their first kiss and every one in-between this one, and how relived he was when he finally saw her after months of being lost.

Annabeth breaths across his lips as she pulls away, her hand still entangled in his hair, and he can't decide if he can just kiss her and kiss her and kiss her. It blurs away everything else, everything bad and painful.

But instead, she lays back down, snuggling back into the comforter. For a moment, it's quiet, the only sound is their breath. "It's not your fault," Annabeth says, drawing lightly on the back of his hand. Or maybe she's tracing the scars. "If anything, I'm the idiot who went on that quest. I- you shouldn't be like this."

"Annabeth-" he start. He knew she blamed herself for it, but it wasn't her fault. None of this would have ever happened without him. "If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have even been in Rome, or on that quest, any of it! We could have- you could have-" Percy realizes where he's going with this a moment after Annabeth does.

"You realize I'd be dead without you, right?" she asks, her voice even and still. "The world would belong to Kronos, or if we managed to beat him, Gaea. I would have died when I was 12, maybe 13, along with all the other demigods and satyrs. Do you really think anyone wishes you weren't here?"

Percy never stopped to think about that, what would have happened had he not been here. He was to busy trying not to die, and truthfully, he didn't think about what he's done. He knows he messes up a lot, and got many of his friends killed, but the rest didn't really matter. Who cared if you saved the world if you couldn't save your friends?

"But that wasn't really me. All I did was follow your instructions and have some luck. And even then I messed up and-"

"But your mess-ups don't lead to hell." She whispers, her eyes on their entwined hands. And that's when Percy realizes how much she blames herself for this. Even though it wasn't her fault, and that he'd do it again for her, she still blames herself.

"And neither do yours." He replies, running a hand over her curls, brushing them out of her face and tucking a lock behind her ear.

He plays with a curl that drapes just above her cheek. "It did though." And Percy can't argue with that, because even though someone had to go in to close the doors, it didn't have to be that way. _But I'd do it 10 times over if I had to_.

Percy twirls a strand of her hair around his finger, marveling at how it curls up and then bounces back into place again. "I love you,"

"I love you too." Annabeth says, taking a deep breath to relax her tightening lungs at the thought of what the night will bring. "Wake me up, okay?"

He shifts, tucking the covers a little bit higher. A small half-smile lights his face. A goodnight smile. "I will." He promises.

And her eye lids droop, blacking out all but a tiny sliver of light. She feels safe here, resting in his arms beneath the covers. His hand keeps twirling her hair. How did he know she liked her hair played with? She focuses on a happy memory; their night in the stables, and lets sleep in, trying hard to warn off the nightmares.

It doesn't work.

oOo

He's not sure who screamed first, and it really doesn't matter at the moment, because Annabeth is still screaming.

She thrashes at the sheet tangled around her legs, and her hands swipe at the pillows. "Annabeth! It's okay! It's okay, you're safe." Percy tries to grab one of her hands, but she screams louder and rips it out if his grasp. He's afraid to grab it tight- he's seen what she'll do to herself.

A piece of her hair falls in her face, and she claws it away, her nails scratching thin cuts in her face. "ANNABETH, WAKE UP!" He can't stand to see her hurt.

_Stop her from hurting herself, and she'll wake up. _Plan in mind, Percy enwraps Annabeth in a giant hug, pinning her arms flat. Her nails scrap at anything she can reach, and her feet kick off the sheets and take aim at anything solid. "Annabeth, it's okay! It's me. We're safe, you're safe."

Her screams seem to have gotten worse. It's a constant flood of words, to many for her to keep up with. "PERCY! NO, NO STOP! LET-ME-_GO_! STOP YOUR HURTING HIM! _NO_!"

"Annabeth, it's okay. Wake up, come on, you can do it." Percy keeps repeating it, changing it and repeating it over and over again. Eventually her feet stop kicking him and her screams turn into sobs. Hoarse, scratchy sobs that want to stop but can't. He grabs a tissue from the nightstand and wipes the drying blood from her face, showing three thin scratches. Percy tosses it on the floor.

_Why is this normal_.

"I hate this."

Annabeth tilts her head up, her eyes red and puffy but all the tears gone. "I hate this," she repeats. "I hate these stupid nightmares and I hate the gods for making us do this. I'm so sick and tired of being pushed around, used and then forgotten." She lets out her breath, dropping her head into the pillow. "I just want to sleep. Just one night, that's all." She yells into the pillow, probably curse words she doesn't want to be heard using.

Percy sinks into the pillow, avoiding her fists pounding on mattress and listening to the muffled screams. "Me too."

**I also have an alternate ending that I am not using, but I'm including it at the end because well, why the fuck not. **

**Alright, next chapter will be out way sooner. Thank you to everyone that reads, reviews, favorites, or favorites! **

**NOW THAT HOH IS OUT**

**I'm sticking with the plot of this, using just a few details from HoH. So if you haven't read it yet, we're cool. Next chapter: Not-So-Secret PoV, which actually does contain a spoiler that you probably already know of. **

**ALTERNET ENDING BECAUSE I LIKED IT BUT HAD NO WHERE TO GO FROM IT. (Carry it on from the ending, just pretend it's up there if you want. Not fanfiction canon.) **

"You don't get it," she pulls her head up from the pillow, "it's every. single. night. I have to relive that. Every single night I'm reminded of the things that happened- the things that _I_ caused. And beca-"

"I don't get it? What am I missing here? Maybe you forgot," It could be the lack of sleep or his stomach growling, but he can't stop. "but I'm in the exact same boat you're in. I freaked out _petting a horse_. I'm reminded what I did ever-"

"Every time you what? Look at me? Yeah guess what, me too."

"Annabeth- that's not what I meant-"

"I know," he voice sounds different, less sharp, "I know you didn't mean it and I didn't either." She rolls over with her back facing him, her voice echoing off the dark cabin walls. _For all the things we fight about-_ and he stops, because they hadn't fought for almost a year, and he must be going crazy now, but he's a little bit glad, because things _are_ getting back to normal.

**Updating next chapter probably Thursday. **


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